The Opposite of Loneliness
by Ckrisz
Summary: A story of the relationship between Mako Mori and Stacker Pentecost, from K-Day to the Hong Kong Shatterdome.
1. K-DAY

The call finally went through, crackling softly. It was hard to hear over the television in the bar, which was turned up to full volume. Stacker lifted the phone to his ear, but kept his eyes firmly glued to the television. The impossible was happening, after all.

"Luna," he said. "Are you watching this?"

_This_ was the wreckage of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, smashed beyond recognition by a monstrosity out of nightmare. The thing that had emerged from the waters of the bay was huge, taller than the Tower of London and almost as wide; hunchbacked and armored and unstoppable. Its roar overwhelmed every other sound, obscuring even the engine of the helicopter filming it.

The BBC newsreader was in too much shock to make much sense. "The … _phenomenon_ … appears to be moving, it looks like it's moving towards the city of San Francisco. There are some seven million people in the immediate area, and evacuation is proceeding slowly –"

"I'm glad you got through, Stacks!" His sister's voice was barely audible. He could hear the sounds of a working flightline through the phone – jet engines, shouted commands, rolling tires. Stacker's heart dropped.

"Luna, are you seeing this? What's going on in San Francisco?" Stacker cupped his hand over the receiver, repeating himself again to try and make himself understood over the noise of the bar.

"As a matter of fact, the squadron's getting ready to fly a sortie against that thing out of Vandenberg."

"Luna, that's ridiculous. You're on holiday -"

She cut him off. "Just a cover. Sorry, big brother. We've actually been training on the new fighters. Would have told you, but I thought you probably knew anyway."

"Luna, the Americans can't order to you do this. You're RAF, who's in the chain of command over there -"

"We volunteered."

Stacker could hear the roar of the fighters in the background. She must be almost on the tarmac. He put his head in his hands. _What is Mum going to say when I can't talk her out of this? _"Can I ask _why_?"

"Because forty years ago when Nazis were bombing our hometown, some mad Yanks had the bollocks to come fly with us," Luna said. "It's time to repay the favor."

Stacker almost laughed. It was something he would have said, and she knew it. "That's beautiful, Luna, but we both know it's because you want to slay a dragon."

"True! And when am I going to get another chance?" Luna's voice was cheerful. Stacker remembered his own first combat mission, and sighed. "By the way, Tamsin says hi."

"Say hi to her, too." _And she'd better keep you safe_. "Be careful, Luna. It looks like the apocalypse out there."

He could hear her grinning through the phone. "Not if _I_ have anything to say about it."

The phone cut off then, and for a long minute all he could see was his sister's dark eyes and devilish smile, the one that drove the boys crazy and which her big brother could never refuse.

Stacker stayed at the bar, staring at the television and waiting for the airstrikes to come in. People were clustered around the television, mostly staring in shocked silence. One man was cursing over and over again in disbelief: "This can't be fucking real! That's a goddamn fake!" Another was going on about how it had to be "terrorists." A woman snapped back that the monster didn't look much like a Muslim to her.

Days later Stacker would fruitlessly rewind the news footage of K-Day, watching for when the initial flight of F-35s made their first bomb run. They came in almost too fast to see, blazing across the sky. Blossoms of fire and smoke lit across the kaiju's enormous back, and the jets came on, firing their 25mm cannons. Blink once, and they were gone, shooting out of frame, and when the smoke cleared the kaiju roared to the sky as if in defiant mockery. It appeared utterly unhurt.

The people in the bar released an audible buzz of shock. _O__hmyGoditsstillmovingnotevenscratched-_

Stacker's fists clenched unconsciously. He knew the F-35s' first volley had been their heaviest weaponry; most of the jets would be out of everything but cannon ammo and air-to-air Sidewinders, barely sufficient for shooting delicate aircraft from the sky. He also knew Luna, and there was no way she would abandon the battlefield for something as trifling as lack of ammunition.

Seconds later, three of the fighters were diving back into the fight, their cannons lighting the sky. The monster ignored them as they sped past. Two kept going, climbing away from the fray. One broke ranks, dropping its speed as it climbed and looping back down in a perfect Immelmann turn. It dove towards the monster, accelerating to face it head on. A Sidewinder leapt from the fighter's wing just as the monster's enormous claw smashed the plane from the sky.

Stacker felt his throat closing up. He couldn't breathe at all. _That couldn't be – no, that wasn't-_

He fled from the bar, pushing horrified patrons out of the way. Everyone ignored him as he emerged on the street.

People were walking the street like nothing was happening. Stacker stared at them. His world – maybe all their worlds - had just ended, and they didn't even know.

Luna's voice came back to him_. Not if I have anything to say about it._

Stacker straightened his back. The Ministry of Defence was two blocks away. He made it in under a minute.


	2. Tokyo, May 15, 2016

It was their Stacker and Tamsin's first time out in their new Jaeger, christened Coyote Tango. They had trained on her for several months in Hong Kong; she was remarkably fast compared to Romeo Blue, which they had left behind after the Japanese requested the PPDC's most experienced Rangers for their newest Jaeger.

PPDC regulations required Rangers on duty to be in their living quarters 24/7, on-call for any emergency. Some Jaeger pilots hated the enforced closeness. They had to have space during their time off, feeling suffocated by the closeness of the Drift. Stacker and Tamsin never had that issue – most of their free time was spent working out together or playing chess to a seemingly eternal series of draws, which Tamsin found frustrating. They'd recently started _hanbo _sparring again, which Marshal Takada had officially forbidden to them due to risk of injury. Tamsin insisted because she could usually beat Stacker three out of five matches on a good day. She was badgering Stacker for another match when the klaxon found them.

"Coyote Tango, report to Bay Zero Four. Kaiju activity detected, Category II."

LOCCENT Chief Robin Santos was a slender Pinoy woman from California whose voice made Stacker vaguely uncomfortable when she got excited. "Coyote Tango, we have Kaiju signature in the Breach. Category II, codename Onibaba. Two thousand tons estimated displacement, head north at speed."

Tamsin patched in as they synced with Coyote Tango's mainframe. "Any idea where it's headed?"

"Nothing yet, Coyote. We have to wait until the SOSUS nets pick it up. TNI-AL has two drone subs on picket duty, but they lost active sonar contact ten minutes after Breach."

Stacker looked worryingly at Tamsin. "That's almost twice as fast as the last one. What's the last known heading?"

"Let me check, Coyote." He could visualize Santos scrolling busily through the data, Yomiuri Giants hat tilted on her head. "Northwest, make it 280 degrees from the Breach on last contact."

"Japan?" Tamsin asked.

"We're working the scenarios now, Coyote. Marshal Takada on deck."

Takada's deep, Hokkaido-accented voice filled the mic. "Rangers, stand by for neural handshake in five, four, three – _mark_."

The Drift flooded both their minds with blue. Tamsin's raw awareness rushed in at him, enveloping his mind in a bright, warm flash. The first Drift had been radically disturbing – as if his entire body was being probed, from the top of his head down to his fingernails. The image-memories had nearly overwhelmed him totally. Sharing one's mind so intimately with someone else had been overwhelming enough. Combined with the incredible weight and complexity of the neural link with the Jaeger, it was enough to completely shatter some minds and too much to handle for almost everyone who applied to the Ranger program. But after seven combat drops, now the Drift was like coming home.

_The roar of the F-35 filled her ears, and the adrenaline was like heroin –_

_ Luna's lips pressed on hers, and the warmth of it filled her chest with fire –_

_ Father was laughing as he tossed her in the sky above him, joyful as he'd always been when she ran to him -_

_ Mother's casket, lowering into the cold, cold ground. Tears on her cheek, Stacker's comforting arm around her as she quivered, trying not to cry in front of everyone –_

_ Luna's smiling face, her arms around them both -_

"Neural handshake complete. At one hundred percent and holding nicely." Santos' voice, throaty and warm, kicked them both back to reality. "Welcome back, Rangers. Stand by for the drop."

LOCCENT's staff scenario projected Onibaba's target as Busan. Takada made the call and had them five minutes from the Korean coast when the terrible news came: Onibaba had evaded the broad sweep of the JMSDF's sonar net along the coast and moved in on Tokyo from the east. It was an understandable mistake: no sub on Earth could keep up with a Kaiju moving at speed through the water. But it was an error that kept Coyote Tango from attacking in the Miracle Mile, and allowed the Kaiju into the city. It was going to their first time fighting in the middle of a populated area.

"Coyote, we're going to put you down in the harbor. The Kaiju's already been through the port and is proceeding towards downtown. JGSDF is pulling back, no friendly ground units in the area. Be aware that JASDF is still engaging."

Tamsin said, "Well, get them out of there! We don't want to get bombed."

"We're trying, Coyote."

When the choppers finally released them over Tokyo Bay, the swathe of destruction was already five miles deep into the harbor. The Kaiju wasn't even visible – just billowing gusts of dust and smoke, lit with orange and red bursts of flame from collapsed buildings and fuel dumps around the ruins of the port.

Stacker could feel Tamsin shudder in the Drift as Coyote Tango hit the water of the Bay. They rose from the crouch and began striding towards the city. Everything was gray and and black ahead of them in the fog of the Kaiju's destruction. "Scout One, Two – any visual?" Tamsin called out to the helicopters over the city. "Which way is it headed?"

"Turn to 145 degrees and follow the bastard, Coyote," Santos replied. "Be advised that last remaining JASDF strike packages have been cleared and are five mikes inbound from due southeast of your pos."

Stacker could see the jets diving in, firing cannons. They were obviously out of missiles and were going in close in a desperate bid to draw the Kaiju away from populated areas back towards the harbor. The futile bravery of it made both him and Tamsin think of Luna again.

The Kaiju roared through the smoke, a shrill shriek of animalistic fury. Stacker's lip curled. _You die, this time._

"Let's go, Stacker!" Tamsin urged them on. "Charging energy caster."

Coyote Tango moved into the city as the last JASDF fighters cleared out. The wreckage of buildings lay around them as the Jaeger stomped through the smoke and saw its enemy ahead.

The Kaiju was a massive crablike wedge of organic armor, covered in dust and raging as it smashed down a city street. It sloughed away from them, seemingly pursuing a tiny shape on the ground.

Tamsin sucked in a breath of shock. _Is that -_

_ - a child?_

For a moment both pilots' rage temporarily overwhelmed the Drift. Clear blue silence flashed red. Coyote Tango surged forward.

_Watch it -_

The Kaiju was just turning as Stacker and Tamsin smashed into it at a dead run, pushing it away from where the child had fled. It toppled over from the impact, part of the shell on its left flank crumpling. The Kaiju shrieked again as Coyote Tango's right fist pounded into its wounded side. _Scream, fucker, we're going to kill you all the same -_

"Coyote, look out!" Santos' voice was tense. The Kaiju's left claw clubbed down as it regained its balance, smashing against Coyote Tango's shoulder and barely missing the Conn Pod. Stacker could hear Tamsin's shriek of rage and pain, matching his own.

The Kaiju drew back for another blow and Stacker extended Coyote Tango's arm, aiming for its injured left side. Tamsin screamed triumphantly as the plasma cannon fired. Blue fire lit the Conn Pod's display. The Kaiju roared again as most of its left arm disintegrated in a flash – but its other arm was already slamming into them, its pincer tearing through the Conn Pod.

Sparks and metal smashed into both Rangers. _We're dead - no, we can't die -_

Stacker looked around dazedly. He could feel Coyote Tango stagger backwards – _so HEAVY – We cannot fall – if we fall we DIE – the CHILD will die –_

Tamsin was hanging limply in the harness. "Tam …?" Stacker found his feet, looked over again. "Tam!"

There was a buzzing in his ear. It slowly coalesced into a voice. "Coyote! Coyote!" Santos was murmuring – why wasn't she speaking up? "Coyote, are you there?!"

"Santos."

"Pentecost! We've got no Drift signal. Is Sevier alive?" Her voice was still gray, distant. "Pentecost, listen. That Kaiju's still moving!"

The Conn Pod screens were dead, but that was okay – he could see out the gaping hole that the Kaiju had torn in Coyote Tango's head. The monster was slowly rising again out of the dust. Most of its left side was a mangle of blue viscera, but it was still alive.

The Drift, Tamsin, Luna's memory – they are all gone. Stacker screamed as the full weight of the link crashed down on him. _I'm on fire – my helmet is on fire – I'm burning –_

_ Stacker._

Tamsin's voice, clear as a bell.

_Let's go, Stacks. That kid out there needs you._

Stacker's head began to clear again. The pain ground into him still, like chains of fire trying to hold him down, but he could feel his body accepting it now.

_Let's kill the bastard, Tam._

Coyote Tango staggered forward, moving slower than before but still fast enough to smash the Kaiju backward by main force. The Kaiju shrieked again as Stacker swung Coyote's fist again, slamming into what had been the monster's armpit. Stacker roared back, grappling the monster close. He drew back and plunged Coyote's right arm deep into the open wound blasted by the energy caster. The Kaiju's flesh gave way in a bubbling gush of blue, and Stacker rammed Coyote's claws deeper.

The Kaiju's shrieking had turned from rumbling fury to a panicked wail of agony. _Got you, fucker_, _we're going to pull your fucking guts out –_

Onibaba reared back, trying desperately to claw free of Coyote's grasp. The creature's howling reached a crescendo as Stacker charged the energy caster, his hand burning.

_Shut up and DIE!_

Coyote's energy caster fired into the Kaiju's exposed belly, blowing through the lighter armor. Stacker ripped Coyote's right arm free from the monster's thorax and fired again. The third blast blew the Kaiju's chestplate off; the fourth exploded through its back. It was no longer screaming.

"Pentecost!" Santos' voice again. She sounded hoarse, as if she'd been yelling all along. "Pentecost! It's down, you can stop!"

Stacker blinked, clearing his vision. The Kaiju had staggered and fallen back some hundred meters beyond Coyote. It was not moving anymore.

"Tam!" He turned to his copilot. She still hung limply in the harness, as if she'd been unconscious the whole time. Stacker clawed at the rapid-release buckles and disconnected the neural handshake. The heat and crushing weight lifted, and he collapsed to the Conn Pod's deck. The world spun crazily around him; he put his hand out to steady himself. _Pull it together, Ranger_. He lifted his head slowly and made his way over to Tamsin.

She still hung there, terrifyingly limp. Stacker put his shoulder under her as he unbuckled her and took off her helmet. Her body collapsed on top of him. He lowered her carefully to the Conn Pod's deck.

"Pentecost!" Santos' voice intruded again. "Listen; hook her up to the emergency oxygen leads. We can get a better reading on her here than you can with the drivesuit on."

Stacker stood up and staggered over to the Conn Pod's emergency kit, directly behind the Rangers' hookup. He pulled out the red oxygen lead and fumbled as he tried to connect it to Tamsin's drivesuit. On the second try, he finally snapped it into place.

Santos' voice was tense as she read back the data. "Vitals are stable, but we're not getting a lot of independent neural activity. We have to get her to a trauma center ASAP. Can you get outside? We're vectoring Scout Three to you now, but there's a lot of smoke all around and we're getting no GPS signal from Coyote. Can you pop a flare?"

"Are-are you sure it's alright to leave her?"

"We're monitoring her vitals here. She's stabilized, but she needs that medevac now."

"Roger, I'm going outside."

Stacker touched Tamsin's faceplate, reassuring himself that she was breathing, then retrieved a flare pistol from the emergency kit and began the laborious, painful climb up Coyote Tango's emergency hatch.

The gray dust thrown up by the Kaiju's fall was beginning to dissipate as Stacker emerged into daylight. He took off his helmet and blinked to clear his eyes. The sudden silence of the outside world shocked him momentarily. Far below he could see the corpse of the Kaiju, motionless, and beyond that the Tokyo skyline, still mostly intact – but none of that mattered. His eyes focused on a tiny shape in blue picking its way through the rubble below, some fifty meters in front of Coyote's feet. The child was still alive, and she was waving at him.

Stacker stared in amazement, then waved back. _We did it, Tam_.


End file.
